Does Alon Akademie ring a bell?
Sounds familiar, right? Yes it does! If you’ve watched Ahtisa Manalo’s answer to the Q&A portion of the recently-concluded Miss Universe 2025, you would remember that the Philippine bet mentioned Alon Akademie twice.
For reference, this was her answer to the question: ‘How would you use this platform to empower young girls?”
“I work with an organization called Alon Akademie where we work with young people to provide them opportunities to make them realize that it doesn't matter what your life circumstance is — it doesn't define where you will go. And I want to continue working with Alon Akademie on a bigger platform like Miss Universe to make sure that people who come from low-income backgrounds are given the same opportunities as everyone else. Thank you.”
Here are 10 things you need to know about Alon Akademie (Philippines):
1. Alon Akademie started in 2022. It was formed by Mian and Lucas Loja from Germany and life coach Pia Acevedo. There is Alon Akademie Philippines and Alon Akademie Germany, which is supported by the German government.
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2. Why Alon Akademie? Coach Pia shared with ABS-CBN News: “Alon means wave; we want children to create ripples of change where they live. Ang main concern was bakit nawawala 'yung mga tao, leaving the Philippines and looking for better lives outside, when in fact, the best place for us to transform is our own home. That’s why if we create ripples of change where we live.”
3. They don’t call the kids "students"; instead they call them "wavemakers" or "ripples." Since its inception in 2022, Alon Akademie has taught more than 300 ripples and has touched more than a thousand wavemakers.
4. How is this curriculum different from the ones in the normal school? Coach Pia clarified that they are not replacing the traditional school set-up, instead they are additional learning for the kids. “Even if you’re spending so much time in traditional schooling, you are not necessarily preparing the children for the real life circumstances,” she said. And this is where Alon Akademie focuses on.
“Tinuturuan namin ang mga bata sa entrepreneurship, sa kanilang social advocacies, mental health awareness and most importantly, global mindset,” Coach Pia said.
She added, “Entrepreneurship here does not mean putting up a business, it means thinking out of the box, creating a world outside especially the circumstances of the urban poor. Mahirap magkaroon ng pag-asa, pag masisikip ang mga lugar na nakatira ang mga kabataan ngayon.”
5. Alon Akademie’s tagline is: “We grow each child’s greatness.”
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6. They also have Alon on Wheels, wherein the teachers go to communities and bring their programs and lessons to indigent students who cannot afford to commute to their lone learning office in Katipunan, Quezon City.
As for the programs, Coach Pia said, “Libre lahat. We are so proud to say that we don't just provide to the kids, we also have shuttles to bring them to and from the hub, para hindi mahirapan yung mga kabataan na pumunta dito.”
7. How do they choose their "ripples" or "wavemakers" to join the Alon Akademie program? Coach Pia said, using their metrics and competency grids, they go to schools and conduct some sessions to identify those who are ready for their program.
“Sinigurado naming hindi magiging basehan ang grado ng bata sa school. We put them in a set-up where there are different stations of learning and then we observed kung paano makihalubilo 'yung mga bata sa materials namin. Sino 'yung mas proactive? Sino 'yung ready na? Sino 'yung kaya niyang magtrabaho ng end to end na may focus?” she explained.
Students undergo 3-4 sessions before they get to finalize and choose who are ready for this extra learning session.
8. What programs or activities do they do in class? ABS-CBN News got a glimpse of one class and wavemakers were spending time with clay. After visiting and conducting observations in classes in Estonia and Finland, Coach Pia added, “We make sure they are exposed to the latest technologies, such as robotics, mga 3D printers, all of that.”
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9. How did Ahtisa Manalo learn about Alon Akademie? Coach Pia said it all started when a mutual friend told her that the then-beauty-queen-aspirant was looking for a youth program or organization to support.
“Ahtisa started attending meetings, spending time with kids,” Coach Pia said. “She’s been working with us for two years, on our first year.”
She added, “Sumasama siya, she would give sessions herself, what she would do is also help us advertise.”
10. Can anybody send help to Alon Akademie, say financially, or in kind, or to volunteer or even provide space or areas for the class? The answer is YES! Financial help would be a big aid in providing more paraphernalia for all the classes. In-kind donations are also welcome but storage is a big concern!
For those who are interested to donate a space or venue, Coach Pia said, “We are looking for space, 'coz if we have space then we can have more children.”
For more information or queries about ‘Alon Akademie’, you can visit their website at www.alonakademie.ph